I Got 99 Problems But Recruiting Ain’t One

I’m not quite sure how the last 15 months went by so fast. Time really does fly when you are having fun! From screening more than 2500 resumes to conducting over 300 interviews, hiring no less than 35 new employees, and joining the infamous #CoveoLife, these past 15 months have been so much fun (and have had their share of challenges too). If you guessed that I work in the HR department of an amazing company, you’d be right.

I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been asked “so what does your job consist of?” So, to answer this question once and for all, and also because 2018 means a fresh start for me, I decided to write a blog to explain what I do and how my job is simply awesome. It’s not uncommon for people to think that recruiting consists of waiting for people to apply and choosing the best candidate out there. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. I could, without a doubt, say that I’m more of a talent attraction manager than anything else. It’s not just about acquiring new talents, it’s about attracting the right kind of people that will complement the Coveo culture. Furthermore, it’s about making sure that Coveo is attractive. From the get-go, my relationship with any potential candidate is a two-way street. I’m always a text message away from my candidates.

So what does that look like? I go out there to find the best candidate, that means sourcing candidates on different web platforms, going to networking events, reading about the technology to see who I could contact, etc. Once I have the attention of a good candidate, that’s when the real fun starts. To be successful as a recruiter you need to be creative, you need to understand that the candidate that you convinced to talk to you has likely spoken to at least 10 other recruiters in the last month. So, the way I position myself and the company needs to stand out. Coveo’s motto is “make business personal” and let me tell you… I do the same thing when I speak to a candidate. I can state that not one of 300 interviews was conducted the same way, it was relevant to the candidate every time. I make every effort to get to know the person before I speak to them, understand what they like, what their ambition and career trajectory is, and capitalize on that. This method is what has allowed me to recruit over 35 new employees.

In May of this year, I was ready for another challenge and really wanted to work more closely with all the new hires I’ve been part of bringing on board. So, I decided to take HR responsibility of the newly inaugurated Montreal office, as the team’s go-to. Since the Montreal office was growing way faster than expected, it was imperative to have HR presence to ensure everything runs smoothly. Since stepping into that role, I help the team coordinate with La Gare Windsor, make sure that the employee have healthy snacks, but most importantly, I make sure the employees are having fun at work by doing social activities or just throwing a happy hour at the office once in a while. Basically, I facilitate the #CoveoLife in Montreal to get it even better than in other Coveo offices. No wonder why they call me Uncle Karl.

We are now in 2018 and after doing an amazing job in recruitment I felt that I was ready for yet another new challenge. And as luck would have it, we decided to modify the structure of the HR team. I’m happy to say that I’m now a HR Business Partner for the Service department of the best software company. I can feel that 2018 will be an even better year!

Oh, and just in case you’re looking to make your next move, or if you’re seriously thinking about Coveo after this awesome post, know that we are always on the lookout to hire the next great star. Who knows, maybe a year from now you will be the one writing a blog about how great Coveo is.